NYC First ‘Latin’ Mayor

If you’ve ever wondered what it is like to grow up as a third culture kid, this is the shit we have to deal with. It is very difficult to be accepted / seen as part of “our culture’s general population.” This frustrates me every damn day.

“Clearly, one’s ‘racial’ roots and one’s cultural heritage are very different,” Thomas J. Basile said. “Mayor Mitchel had Hispanic ancestry by virtue of a connection to Spain, but was certainly not Latino. Mitchel didn’t identify himself culturally during his public life with the broader Latino population globally or in the city. It’s not just about who someone’s great-grandfather was but much more about how you connect not only racially but also with the culture, people and lives of those who share that common heritage. It’s not just about where you’re from but how you live and perceive yourself in relation to others of that heritage.”

Recently, I’ve been thinking that I’m not Latino enough to check other people’s “diversity” checkboxes. Because I grew up in the midwest, I am seen as another privileged white guy. Yet, I am a college drop out and have struggled to be where I am. It is frustrating to live in the middle and not be accepted by either side…